Sai Orlianna: Hey all!  Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out but here it is.  I got

                      my first flame.  ;-;  Makes me sad but I guess it is ok.   Thanks to those who

                      reviewed.  Hope you enjoy this next chapter.  Just a fun fluffy ch. but it has

                      some fun moments.  As always please R&R. 

Fate Plays Her Hand

Ch 10

One Day More

Sephira felt the world around her come into focus.  Slowly, she opened her eyes as her mind fought to break free from the fog it had been entrapped in.  The last thing she remembered was being attacked again by these strange warriors then running.  Her head ached as she recalled what had happened.  Jumping into the back of a jeep as the poisonous dart hit its target and driving away into the wood.  Her mind scanned the last memory she had of all of them together.  The faces of her friends spilled into her mind along with the faces of who they were with.  She moaned as her mind reminded her fully of exactly who they were with.

"Sephira?"

A voice cut through her lingering thoughts as the face of Emma came into view.  Sephira looked up at her friend as a tired smile crossed her face.  She couldn't help but notice the relief evident on Emma's face.

"She's awake!"  Sephira heard Emma cry as she shakily sat up.  "Here, let me help."  Emma reached down to help her as the others rushed over.  Sephira smiled at the happy faces of her comrades but that smile faded when she met the indifferent glare of Genjo Sanzo. 

"Oh, it's you again." She groaned as she leaned into Emma.

Sanzo was taken a back by her comment and an unknown anger quickly took hold.  "What do you mean by that, you baka!"

"Sanzo, keep your voice down.  She just woke up."  Hakkai said, trying to calm the raging Sanzo.

"Hmm…he's pissed."  Goyjo whispered softly to Rox who stifled a giggle.  "I think the cranky monk has been insulted." 

CLICK "Say that again, kappa, I dare you."

"Sanzo, please."

"Save it, Hakkai." Sanzo growled before turning back to Sephira, his gun still fixed on Goyjo.  "Is this the thanks we get for saving your ass, again?!"

"You must be hungry Sephira.  Why don't Goku and I get you some food."  Nara said hastily grabbing Goku by the arm.

"Yeah!  Food! Food! Food!"

"We didn't ask for your help, you damn monk."

"Sephira, don't…"  Emma said in her best motherly tone.

"FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!"

"Yeah, cause you were doing just fine on your own!"  Sanzo all but yelled.  Nara gasped as Sanzo pointed his gun away from Goyjo and pulled the trigger.  "Shut up baka saru!"  Goku froze.

"HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, SANZO?!"

"You were being annoying."  Sanzo grumbled.

Nara started to tug Goku.  "Come on, let's get that food." 

"Come to think of it, who were those guys who…"  Goyjo was cut off by the smooth feeling of one of Rox's fingers on his lips.

"Shh…darling."

"Exactly!  Who were those guys you were fighting?"

Hakkai squatted next to Emma.  "Sephira, you ok?"  Sephira moaned.  Emma felt Sephira's head with the back of her palm and grimaced.  She was sweating from her fever and this petty fright was not helping.  This had to stop, now.

Sanzo jumped in front of the retreating Nara.  "No, you are not leaving till I get some answers!"

"QUIET!!!" 

Everyone froze at the harsh voice, more so surprised that it came from Emma.  She stood, her eyes closed in a manner that told everyone that she was trying to retain her calm.  After a minute, she opened her eyes and looked down at Sephira.  "I think it's time for you to take a bath."  Sephira looked up at her and smiled, nodding in agreement.

 With help from Emma, Sephira stood and made her way to the door.  Everyone stood just as still and quiet as they passed.  Sanzo stood unmoving at the entrance.  Sephira grimaced.  "Move."  Glaring heatedly at her, Sanzo stiffly stepped aside, his eyes not moving from her retreating form.  When they had disappeared behind the trees, Sanzo let out the frustrated breath he unconsciously held.  Turning, he noticed that everyone was watching him.

"What was that all about?"  Goyjo said with a suggestive smirk.  "Did the little vixen really insult the great Sanzo-hoshsama?"

"If you want to live, you will shut up now." Sanzo said as he stormed to his little corner.

"Sanzo, your face is all red," Goku added.  "I didn't think you were that mad.  I can't believe she pissed you off over something so trivial."  Goku failed to stifle the laughter in his throat. 

"Goku, let's go.  We still need to get that food."  Nara said as she grabbed Goku and dragged him off. 

Goyjo sent a suspecting glance Hakkai's way as they left the cave with Roxanne in tow leaving the fuming monk alone.  Something was going on, something they both were itching to find out.  Sanzo sat smoking his fifth cigarette.  That stupid little…how dare she do this to him.  What exactly she was doing, he wasn't sure.  She just pissed him off, no matter what she did, it just irritated him.  What made things worse was that his mind liked to play cruel games by reminding him of her at the worse possible times.  He was getting very sick of this game.  'The sooner we leave…the better…'

Sephira sank gratefully into the cool stream.  The water quickly began to quell the heat on her skin but the fire raging in her mind had yet to cease.  'That stupid monk.  Why did he have to be here?  What kind of sick game is fate playing anyway?'  Sephira had been almost positive that they would never cross paths again, ever.  But here they were, thrown together by the unpredictable winds of life.  If she had known that they would see each other again, she would have thought twice before even attempting to kiss him.  She just wanted to thank him and a simple kiss seemed perfectly innocent.  Then why did she get all weird at the memory of it.  Just the sight of him made her feel like that, adding fuel to her annoyance.  How is she going to face him knowing that he remembers what had happened as well?  This was way too much for her to handle right now.

"Sephira?"  Emma's cool voice cut into her heated thoughts.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."  Sephira said unconvincingly.

"You seem a bit, I don't know, distracted."  Emma said in a probing manner.  "Is there something on your mind?"

Sephira knew Emma was getting at something simply by the amused look in her friend's eyes.  It seemed her spat with Sanzo showed more than she wanted.  In the past Emma always seemed to know what to do, maybe she could…but that would mean telling her what happened.  Sephira went under in a quick, but vain, effort to hide her blush.  Coming up, she took a deep breath and looked Emma straight in the eye.  "Can you keep a secret?"

Emma smiled at Sephira, feeling like she was a child keeping something from their sensei.  "Always." 

Sephira smiled as her friend quickly sat on the bank close to her.  "You remember, after Sensei died, I went away?"

"Yeah."  Emma said, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Well, while I was away, I ran into the Sanzo party." 

Emma's eyes widened in shock.  "What?  They didn't say anything about that."

"That's because the only person I saw was Sanzo himself."  Sephira sighed as the memories of that night came flooding back.  "He caught me at the worse possible time.  I had hit rock bottom hard.  The hurt I had felt since Sensei's murder had festered into a bitterness toward the world.  I confess I was doing something that I am not proud of, that's when Sanzo caught me, literally."

Emma raised an eyebrow at this.  "Sephira, what exactly were you doing?"

Sephira looked away in shame.  "I tried to pick his pocket, but, being Sanzo, he caught me right off the bat."  Sephira closed her eyes, willing away the tears she felt welling up as memories of that night hit her full force.  "Anyway, later that night I, well, I was drunk…very drunk.  I was attempting to get more sake when I stumbled into him in the hall way, needless to say I wasn't very polite.  I don't remember all that was said but I do know I hit a nerve with him because I was instantly sobered when he hit me."

Emma gasped.  "He hit you?  Sephira!"

"It's not like I didn't deserve it.  I guess it was his way of knocking some sense into me."  Sephira paused as she gathered the rest into her mind.  "It was then, while I was on the floor clutching my cheek in disbelief that I heard the words that would haunt me even now.  'He sacrificed himself for this?'  I was so mad afterwards that I threw him out, but the words rang in my ears, forcing me to face the truth."

Emma sat in silence, taking this all in.  "So, because he caught you at this particular moment and he said these things to you, you're mad at him?"

"No, actually, I'm grateful.  Because of what he said, I was able to start overcoming my hate and move on." 

"Then, why are you so mad now?"  Emma asked, slightly confused.

"Well, I'm not quite finished."  Sephira added hesitantly.  "For the rest of that night, I struggled with myself.  Hours upon hours until I came to the conclusion that I was being stubborn and childish.  I knew that Sensei wouldn't have wanted this.  I decided then and there to return home and find my way with my you guys."  Sephira smiled at Emma.  Timidly, she continued.  "As I was leaving, I stopped out in front of the inn.  I thought I was alone, but I wasn't.  Sanzo was there.  I don't know why but he was.  I told him why I had left. Then I asked him if he felt the same when—I assumed—something similar had happened to him.  I knew by the anger in his eyes that he had, in some way, experienced this type of pain.  It's strange to think that I have that sort of connection with him."

"So, you two have shared an experience, got that.  But I am still lost as to why you are acting this way!"  Emma exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I'm getting there."  Sephira said, rubbing her hands together nervously.  She felt like such a child.  "I told him I was sure we would never meet again—actually, I was sure of it— and then I…um…" she paused in thought, then finished quickly, "I thanked him." Despite her seemingly conclusive finish, the blush deepened to an untold shade of crimson.

Emma cocked her eyebrow, never having once seen her friend wearing that shade. In her limited knowledge of facial coloration, Emma could tell that her dear friend was hiding something else. "You thanked him?" she asked; tone a mix of probing and disbelief.

Sephira sank deeper into the cool stream until only her eyes were seen. She emerged just enough to whisper, "I kissed him." before ducking back down.

Emma sat in shock.  Of all the things she had expected Sephira to say, this was the last.  "You kissed him?  Did he say anything?"

"No, I didn't give him a chance to.  After I kissed him, I ran off."  Sephira said with an embarrassed smile on her face.  "You see now why I'm mad.  I was so sure that I would never ever see him again.  And now him showing up while we are being chased…I just can't deal with this!"

Emma laughed at her friend's exasperated tone.  This was the first time Emma could remember seeing Sephira act in such a childish manner. It was a nice break from the all rule, no play leader she tended to be most of the time. In fact, it was rather cute.  "Well, the only thing I can tell you right now is to try and not let it bother you.  You cannot let him distract you from the task at hand."

"But what if he…"

"Then we will deal with it when it comes."  Emma responded in her motherly tone.  "He hasn't mentioned it yet so we need not worry. Ok?  Now, you need to finish this bath so we can get back to camp."

"Yes, mother."  Sephira said, mockingly.       

Unbeknownst to the pair, someone else had heard Sephira's tale.  Hakkai stood in amused shock at what he had just heard.  He was passing by when he heard the two talking.  Though he knew well enough that ease dropping was bad, curiosity had gotten the better of him.  So that's what's bothering Sanzo.  Quite an unexpected twist.  But what was even more intriguing was that Sephira had mentioned something about them being chased meaning that they at least knew something about what's going on.  Quietly, Hakkai walked back to where he had left Goyjo and Roxanne.  He couldn't keep such intriguing, juicy blackmail to himself.

"Goku, are you sure about this?"  Nara yelled up to Goku, who was high in a tree preparing to pick some delicious looking fruit. 

"Yeah!  I've done this loads of times."  Goku called back, throwing down the last of the fruit and hopping down himself.  "Piece of cake."

"If you say so."  Nara said.  In her arms she held a blanket full of assorted berries and wild fruits.  "Hey look, it's a perp tree.  Perps are really good, especially the ones that grow at the top."

"Sounds good."  Goku said as he jumped up into the near by tree and started climbing.  "I guess when they call me a monkey they aren't too far off."

Nara laughed as she watched him climb.  Sitting at the base of the tree, she wondered if Goku remembered anything of their past history.  It had been a questing she had toyed with since she saw him again. Leaning against the tree, she decided now would be a good time to ask.  Looking up, she called to Goku.  "Hey, Goku!"

"Yeah!" 

"Have you ever felt like you've known a person longer than you actually have?"

Goku froze as he reached for a plump looking perp.  Had he heard right?  "What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence, though his heart was racing. He was not sure why, but it was.

Nara slumped back thinking for a moment.  "Well, take you and me for example.  You don't, by any chance, feel like we have known each other for much longer than the little bit of time we have actually spent together?"  'That should do the trick I think.' 

Goku, still frozen mid-reach, was in shock.  'What was she getting at?'  Goku blushed as the impossible crossed his mind.  'No?  Could she?  I mean, I like her, she's a great cook, but could it be more than that?  I don't know…she is a great cook…but…AAHH!! I DON'T KNOW!!!'

"Goku?"  Nara voice shocked Goku out of his thoughts. "Are you ok?"

            "Yes…" he called back, voice cracking. Excusing the straining tone for his being in the same position too long, Goku said, thankfully in his normal tone, "I was just…um…deciding which perp is the best. Um…that one!"  He reached for the fruit he had previously tried to grab only to grope thin air, throwing off his precariously placed balance.  "Uhoh…" Before he could regain his footing, Goku found himself falling fast from the tree.  He landed with a THUD on the ground in front of a shocked Nara.  "Owe, that hurt."  Goku moaned.

"Goku, are you…ok?"  Nara managed to say as she tried to hold back her laughter, but to no avail.  She burst out laughing at the boy in front of her, deciding that now was not the time to worry about the past. She had him now. That was all that mattered. 

"Hey!  That wasn't funny!"  Goku cried rubbing his throbbing backside.

"I know it's just…"  The last of her words were lost in another fit of laughter. 

Goku, feeling slightly hurt by this, began to get annoyed.  "Ok, you can stop now!"  But Nara kept on laughing.  "Hey!  I said stop!"

"I…I can't!  It was just too…too funny!"  Nara managed to say between laughs. 

"Stop it or else!"  Goku growled.

Nara stopped laughing and stared challengingly at Goku.  "Is that a threat?"

Goku smirked back his own challenge.  "It's a promise."

"Oh, now I'm scared."  Nara said sarcastically.  "Well, mister, you're going to have to catch me first!"  Before Goku could respond, Nara had grabbed the food and darted off.  Not one to back away from a challenge, Goku instantly gave chance.

"I'm going to get you, Nara!" 

"If you can baka-saru!"

"Hey!"

  Goku chased Nara through the woods, weaving in and out of trees.  Goku stopped, hiding behind a nearby tree.  He glanced around it watching Nara as she quickly looked around then ducked behind some bushes.  Goku smirked to himself.  He would catch her for sure this time. As quietly as he could he crept up to the bushes and crouched behind them.  He could hear Nara giggling on the other side.  Grinning to himself, he silently counted to 3 then jumped.  "I got you!"  Goku yelled as he tackled his prey.

"And who exactly do you think you have, saru?"  Goku looked up in shock at Nara's triumphant face. 

"GET OFF ME!!!"  Goyjo roared angrily, shoving Goku off of him. 

After rolling into a near by tree, Goku shot a look at Nara before saying, "Oops, sorry Goyjo."  He stood, brushing a few leaves from his shirt.

"Who were you trying to catch anyway?"  Goku turned to see an amused looking Hakkai.

Goku huffed, still a bit annoyed.  "I was trying to catch Nara."

Goyjo let out a small laugh as a mischievous glint hit is eyes.   "Awe, our monkey's all grown up.  Chasing the girls and everything."

"I'm not like you, hentai kappa!"  Goku shot, a blush dying his cheeks. 

"He's mad because I laughed at him when he fell out of a tree."  Nara giggled earning her a hurt look from Goku.

"You fell from a tree!"  Goku grimaced as Goyjo started to crack up.  "The monkey fell from a tree, how rich is that!"

"I'm not a monkey!"  Goku growled, his cheeks redder from the embarrassment.  "It doesn't matter anyway." He muttered. 

"Hey, where's Rox?"  Nara asked, looking around for her missing friend.  "I need to give her this food so we can start dinner."        

"She went to find Emma and Sephira.  They were over by the stream last I knew."   Hakkai replied happily.

"Thanks."  Nara said smiling as she ran off.  Something in Goku felt sad that she left but he perked up knowing he would see her soon with a freshly cooked meal.

"Don't look so glum, saru.  She'll be back."  Goku rolled his eyes at Goyjo's stupid remarks.

"So, what are you guys doing here anyway?"  Goku shot. 

"Nothing much.  Just talking."  Hakkai said nonchalantly.

Goku's curiosity began to get the better of him.  "What about?"

"Can't tell you.  Your little monkey brain wouldn't be able to understand it anyway."  Goyjo chuckled.

"Hey!  I'm not that dumb.  Come on!  What was it about?"  Goku all but begged.

"I think it's about time we got back."  Hakkai said cheerfully ignoring Goku.

"Yeah.  I think the monk should be done fuming by now."  Goyjo added as he and Hakkai started back toward the cave with Goku in tow.

"What?  You're not going to tell me?  Why not?  I want to know!!!  GUYS!!!  THIS IS SO NOT FAIR!!!"

Heaven…

In a dark room lit only by a single candle, a soldier stood patiently waiting in front of a dark screen.  His heavy breathing could be heard no matter how hard he tried to steady it.  The size of the room made one feel trapped; even the air itself seemed to suffocate the lungs.  Still he stood waiting; his heart pounding loudly in his ears.  The man he was waiting to see made even the most confident of men lose their nerve.  He swallowed hard as heard a door open.  Fear gripped his heart as he thought over his message.  Stories had reached him that even the slightest insult to this man would end your life.  Soon the silhouette of the man he came to see formed. 

Bowing deeply, the soldier spoke.  "My Lord, the fugitive and his companions have yet to leave the forest.  Requesting permission to pursue and arrest."  His nerves stretched thin as he waited for his answer.     

He cringed as a cold voice reached his ears.  "Proceed."  

The soldier let out a gasp of relief.  "Yes sir."  Deepening his bow further, he began to leave but froze as the cruel voice spoke again.

"Remember Captain.  The fugitive must be sent back.  I am so longed to see him again."

"Yes, my Lord."  The soldier quickly left as an icy laugh followed him.

Sam stood watching the sun as it made its decent behind the Western horizon.  The command to wait until the fugitives immerge from the forest had made some of the soldiers anxious.  The fugitives were on the minds off all the soldiers but Sam kept thinking about her.  'Lady Orlianna…can it really be you?'  His thoughts drifted to two days before when they had attacked.  The fugitives were fending well, but the soldiers began to overwhelm them.  Then out of no where, the Sanzo Party –for Sam knew them well enough having heard all about them—arrived.  He caught site of the woman as she ran past him in a desperate attempt to escape, her fierce blue eyes never leaving her desired destination.  Not for the first time, his heart tightened at the possibility of seeing his old mistress again. 

"Captain."

Sam turned and saluted as a messenger ran up to him.  "At ease, private."

"Sir, a new order has come in.  We are to pursue the fugitives at dawn.  We are ordered to attack and apprehend the fugitive and his companions."

Sam stood a bit puzzled at the news.  "Roger that.  Dismissed."

"Yes sir."  Sam watched as the soldier returned to his post.  'Attack and apprehend...'  He turned his gaze to the dark forest.  'The truth will come out soon enough, my lady.'

End of Ch. 10

Sai Orlianna:  Well, there you have it.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Next chapter- the

                        truth comes out.  I will try really hard to get it out to ya'll sooner

                        than this one.  Please R&R!  Ja for now.